E-health: challenges and perspectives of the use of ICT in the health sector

e-health

In recent decades we have witnessed how technology is significantly impacting all aspects of our lives. Without a doubt, one of the areas in which it is having a revolutionary effect is the health sector. The adoption and development of technological solutions in this field, known as e-health, is providing new possibilities and transforming the way in which services are delivered and accessed. health care services.

What is e-health?

La e-health, Also known as e-health o health digital, refers to the use of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the health field. In itself, it encompasses a wide range of applications and services, including the use of mobile devices, telemedicine, electronic health records, health tracking and monitoring applications, Artificial Intelligence and data analysis, among others. In short, the e-health uses technology to improve the efficiency, quality and accessibility of health services.

As the creation and development of various devices and applied technologies continues, the digital transformation in healthcare and medicine will continue to perfect the health systems. This may materialize with the evolution of inadequate services and procedures to more appropriate ones. Equally in the offer of faster, more effective and economic solutions, for diseases such as HIV or cancer. This can also be achieved by equalising the relationship between professionals and patients.

How is e-health revolutionizing the healthcare sector?

Currently, the e-health is revolutionizing the health sector in multiple ways. First, it has improved accessibility to the medical care, especially for those living in remote areas or with limited access to health services. Telemedicine, for example, allows patients to consult with doctors via video conferencing, avoiding the need to travel long distances. In addition, tracking apps and health monitoring allow patients to monitor their medical conditions from the comfort of their homes, reducing the need for frequent visits to hospitals.

Furthermore, the e-health is improving efficiency in the delivery of Health services. For example, thanks to the digitization of medical records, paper records are largely being replaced. Such an evolution is facilitating the exchange of information between healthcare providers and reducing the medication errors and diagnosis.

Furthermore, the Artificial Intelligence and data analysis allows us to identify patterns and trends in large clinical data sets, which helps doctors in decision making and developing more precise and personalized treatments. It is pertinent to highlight that AI algorithms, capable of analyzing medical records, are used to design treatment plans. Similarly, they can diagnose cancerous and non-cancerous tissue samples.

In the same line, the big data analysis of patients and online collaboration between researchers from different parts of the world are accelerating the discovery of treatments and innovative therapiesTo this we must add the use of connected devices and smart sensors that facilitate the collection of data in real time, allowing for more comprehensive and accurate monitoring of patient health in Clinical studies and essays.

Other notable advances in e-health

Currently, the Virtual Reality It is being used in many situations, from the training of future surgeons to the practice of surgeries by qualified physicians. Companies such as ImmersiveTouch y Bone VR These tools are currently being developed by surgeons. So far, the results have provided ample insight. Recent studies have shown that surgeons trained with VR support increased their overall performance by up to 230%. This is in comparison to their conventionally trained colleagues.

On the other hand, patients also get Benefits of VR for the treatment of pain. In this regard, several studies show that VR usage As a stimulus, it reduces the intensity of pain in patients with various diagnoses, particularly cardiac, neurological, gastrointestinal and post-surgical pain.

Of course, we cannot ignore among the advances of the e-health the development of robotics applied to health. The robotic rehabilitation therapies continue to demonstrate their ability to improve motor function in patients with various physical and neurological disabilities. These include: spinal cord injuries, cerebrovascular accidents (stroke), cerebral palsy and Parkinson's disease.   

Some robotic technologies The most commonly used in rehabilitation are:

  • Robotic exoskeletons, placed externally on the patient's body to provide support and assistance in movements.
  • Robotic prostheses, which replace a limb of the body that has been amputated.
  • Extremity rehabilitation systems, which help patients perform specific exercises that support the recovery of strength and coordination in affected limbs.
  • Brain-computer interfaces, which allow direct communication between the brain and a robotic device through interfaces, to restore mobility and function in patients with paralysis.
  • Therapist robots, usually humanoid, supported by Artificial Intelligence, who interact with the patient to encourage him to do the exercises, such as Do, developed by Inrobics.

What can we expect from e-health in the future?

As we have seen in this brief review, the e-health is demonstrating its potential to transform the health sector today. However, its prospects for the future are even more exciting.

As technology continues to advance and become more integrated into our daily lives, we can expect that e-health play a central role in improving healthcare and promoting health globally. Here are some examples:

Personalized and preventive medicine

It is clear that the e-health will allow a more personalized and preventive approach to medicine. Thanks to the electronic health records and real-time data collection, doctors will be able to obtain a more complete and detailed view the health of each individual.

This will allow the identification of risk factor's and the adoption of preventive measures before diseases appear. In addition, treatments can be adapted to the specific characteristics and needs of each patient, thus improving efficacy and minimising side effects.

Artificial intelligence and diagnosis

To tell the truth, the IA will play a crucial role in medical diagnosis. The learning algorithms automatic They will be able to analyze large amounts of clinical and medical data to identify patterns, predict diseases and make diagnoses more precise. In this way, the diagnostic process It will be more agile and will allow for timely and effective treatments to be applied.

Digital health and wearable devices

The portable devices and the applications of digital health will continue to evolve and improve. We will see progress in w as smartwatches and body sensors that constantly monitor the physical activity, heart rate, sleep and others health parameters.

These devices will be able to detect and alert about possible health problems, helping people maintain a healthy lifestyle and make informed decisions about their well-being.

3D printing

By Print 3D Applied to medicine, organs for transplants, living skin and even blood vessels are already being created. Very soon, this technology will be able to create bone prostheses based on tissue formed with genetic material from the same patient.

Interoperability and data security

Por último, la interoperability of information systems and the data security health will be crucial aspects of the e-health of the future. Efforts to standardize and securely share data across different healthcare institutions and professionals will enable more coordinated and collaborative care.

In this sense, the privacy protection and the security of patient data will be critical to ensuring confidence in the use of technology in the health sector.

Inrobics participate in the evolution of e-health

Since our origin as a spin-off in the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, the approach of Inrobics has been focused on improving rehabilitation therapies through robotics. Our proposals integrate IA y social robots with the aim of improving the quality of life of patients with functional limitations or neurological. Based on this, our application facilitates the control and configuration of the sessions with the robot.

In addition, they provide a dashboard with real-time information to monitor user progress. Our cloud platform allows the tool to be used in rehabilitation centers or at the patient's home, following a personalised treatment controlled by the therapist. This is our contribution to the development of the e-health. Request a free demo!

Picture of José Carlos Pulido

Jose Carlos Pulido

PhD in Computer Science and Technology cum laude from the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) and MBA in Digital Health Management from the OBS Business School and the Universitat Internacional de Catalunya. With more than 10 years in high technology and innovation projects, he is a specialist in AI and social care robotics. Professor at UC3M with research experience at the University of Southern California, USA, and the Karlsruher Institut für Technologie, Germany. He designs technology to improve quality of life.